If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, then you know that
things can get dirty. If you haven’t had the luxury of working behind a line, then
you’ve heard the rumors.

But the staff at Maribelle’s eat + drink has nothing to hide; in fact, they want you to see their kitchen.

Maribelle’s, which used to be located on Riverside Drive,
is set to reopen Thursday at a new location on Madison Road in Oakley. Owners
Leigh Enderle and Mike Florea wanted to create a restaurant that felt
comfortable and open, so they redesigned the space that used to house Hugo to look like a kitchen at home.

The walls are now painted pastel yellow and green, and
wooden chairs stand against high tables (designed by local architect Terry
Boling) that look like kitchen islands. The kitchen line is completely exposed,
as is the bar — so diners won’t be left wondering how the staff operates or how
clean the kitchen environment is.

“Transparency is the concept we’re going for,” says Enderle. “We want people to know where their food comes from and
how it’s made. We want them to understand the sourcing and we want them to
understand how much work goes into the restaurant, too.”

Chefs at Maribelle’s will use hormone-free meat and seasonal
local ingredients for their American-fare menu items priced $8-15. Their
chicken and turkey products will come from Gerber Farms of central Ohio, and
their beer list will include domestic lagers, porters and IPAs. The restaurant will be open Tuesday-Sunday.

Maribelle’s staff thinks that everyone has the right to know
where their food came from, and they invite diners to ask questions about their
meals.

“I care about what I eat. Not all the time, but I do care,”
says Enderle. “I care about where things come from, and I care that the animals
are treated well. At Maribelle’s, we want to make sure we know the story behind
the ingredients that we’re getting, and we want to make sure it fits into our
concept of transparency.”

They have been
talking about it since they were 15 years old. Now, about 15 years later, all it took was an evening
stroll through some back alleys on the way to The
Famous Neons Unplugged in Over-the-Rhine to stumble across the
perfect spot for their new start-up, Collective Espresso.

Owners Dave Hart and
Dustin Miller had always dreamed of opening a coffee shop together. Lifelong
friends and Ohio natives, the two spent a few years
on separate journeys living in and being inspired by different
states along the West Coast and working in multiple restaurants and cafes along
the way.

"We kind of just
moved to Cincinnati with the plan that we would figure it out," Hart
explained nonchalantly as he reached for a cup and saucer behind the
bar. Cold November rain
fell outside during our interview, but the coffee and conversation warmed the already cozy shop
as I sat comfortably on a stool that Hart and Miller hand-made, at the rustic
bar that they crafted out of an old barn door. Just like the
simplicity of the shop's design, Miller explained that it's their goal to very
simply, "make great coffee taste great."

"There are a lot
of great natural things happening in this coffee," Miller explained, joining Hart behind the bar. "It's our job as baristas to make it look and
taste awesome. We want the coffee to speak for itself."

The shop, on the brink of
opening, will mainly serve Deeper Roots Coffee — which is local — and
Quills Coffee from Louisville, Ky. However, since they have a multiple
roaster format, they are excited that they have the freedom to serve anything
that piques their interest.

I watched in awe as
the duo made the perfect cup of coffee through a process known as the
drip method. This procedure takes about two and a half minutes and is performed
through several steps in a homemade set-up resembling a science
lab experiment.

"Each cup
of coffee is made-to-order," Hart explained as he
smelled the complex aroma from the coffee. "We don't want
to be so slow that it's frustrating to get a cup of coffee here, but
we like the idea of people being able to chill out for a
few minutes and have a real coffee experience."

There are many ways
to get your caffeine fix at Collective Espresso including espresso,
macchiatos, cortado, cappuccino, lattes and mochas. The average price for a
drink is $2.50-$3.50.

Although they
recognized some great coffee shops that Cincinnati already has to offer, Hart
explained that they thought the Cincinnati coffeehouse scene was missing
something — Collective Espresso. With seating arranged in a
bar-like fashion, the shop provides a welcoming atmosphere to stop
in, have a cup of coffee over the daily news (CityBeat, of course) and meet or catch up with neighbors.

"If people are
as dorky about coffee as we are, we also want to be a place where people can
explore different brew methods and learn about different coffees," Miller
added.

Just as the perfect cup of
coffee takes time, the finishing touches are being put on Collective
Espresso. The shop, located at 207 Woodward St., (off Main Street) is
expected to open very soon.

Next pop-up dinner to be held June 12 at The Kitchen Factory

Dan Katz left his culinary ventures in New York City to start something new. He wanted a restaurant in a fun, welcoming environment and Cincinnati was just the place. But before he opens his restaurant, Meatball Kitchen, Katz is hosting pop-up dinners to see what people think of the food offered at his forthcoming establishment. As Katz continues his search for the perfect spot to open Meatball Kitchen, area foodies can keep up with the latest news on Facebook.

CityBeat: Why did you move
from New York?

Dan Katz: I co-owned a French Bistro and American wine bar in NYC. My
wife, Laura, grew up in Cincinnati and after visiting, I realized what a great
place it is to raise a family. I am looking forward to adding my New York
experience and energy to all the exciting stuff that is going on in the Cincy
culinary community. I think Meatball Kitchen will be a perfect addition to the
scene here.

CB: What inspired you
to do these pop-up dinners?

DK:I've been thinking about this idea for a long time. My
goal was to create a cravable, delicious take on the classic meatball. I want
to raise the standard of typical fast food and bring delicious, affordable food
to everyone. The pop-ups are a great way to introduce and test my concept. I
want to be the great $5 sandwich place and feed the neighborhood.

CB: When is your
restaurant opening?

DK:Soon! We are
looking at locations around town. I have a great team ready to go and we
are hoping to open by the end of the summer.

CB: Are you doing any
more pop up dinners?

DK: Yes. The next one is June 12 at The Kitchen Factory in
Northside. At the last pop-up, we introduced the diners to our core menu. At
the next pop-up, we will serve one of the exciting rotating specials as well.
We believe that we can turn any recipe into a meatball! Diners can
follow us on Facebook to keep updated about this and other
events.

CB: What
are you most looking forward to when opening your restaurant?

Yet unnamed, but historically outfitted

If there's one thing we like in Over-the-Rhine, it's enjoying a bit of updated history while we dine and drink. And that's what proprietors Stuart King and Julia Petiprin aim to bring to the corner of 13th and Republic streets with their new apothecary-themed cocktail bar.

While the name has yet to be revealed, the theme is sound. The bar will be nestled in a historic storefront, replete with turn-of-the-century antique medicines, jars, bottles and sundries, along with dark wood, leather booths and vintage lighting; more moody and romantic and less American Horror Story.

King and Petiprin, cofounders of the Circle Hospital Group, are striving to create a warm, comfortable bar with a design aligned to the ethos of OTR. Petiprin, the designer of the space, will also oversee the cocktail program. It's slated to feature spirits, syrups and other homemade concoctions in a strategy developed with assistance from former Los Angeles bar manager Brandyn Tepper (Hinoki and the Bird) and Matt Landes of Cocktail Academy of Downtown Los Angeles.

The 1,200-square-foot space will hold 55 people and is slated to open in March.

Collective Espresso now offers two of the city’s finest coffee shops found off the beaten path.

Owned and operated by Dave Hart and Dustin Miller, Collective Espresso’s original alleyway location off Main Street in Over-the-Rhine quickly established itself as a worthwhile destination for caffeine-cionados. They’ve branched out with a second location between Happy Chicks Bakery and Fabricate on Hamilton Avenue in Northside. And their new spot has inevitably found itself on a similar easy-to-miss-but-hard-to-forget alleyway — enter through the swinging wrought-iron gate in front of Cluxton Alley, home to Cluxton Alley Roasters, which is renting them the space.

The imposed sense of secrecy only adds to Collective Espresso’s allure. Staff and owners, who are usually steaming milk or doing pour-overs alongside each other, are extremely inviting, talented and knowledgeable in all things espresso. And though the new location boasts a fully functional coffee roaster (owned by Cluxton Alley Roasters), it’s not in the duo’s business trajectory to roast and sell their own coffee beans yet.

The shop has already enjoyed a soft opening and is currently open the same hours as the OTR location (7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday; 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday). The Northside shop also serves Collective’s same critically acclaimed coffee drinks, which recently received accolades from Food Network star Alton Brown, who grabbed a “spot-on” cortado when he was in town for his show at the Aronoff.

We went to the sneak preview — there were fewer shirtless 98 degrees photos than we had hoped

The Lachey brothers are officially in the bar business. Cincinnati natives and boy band superstars Nick and Drew Lachey held a preview night for their bar, Lachey’s Bar, Dec. 19. It opens to the public on Jan. 1. 2015. Mayor John Cranley, 3CDC and 4EG/Lachey’s Bar partner Bob Deck were on hand to help the brothers cut the red ribbon.

“We’re literally cutting the red tape,” Drew Lachey joked to the crowd. Cranley gave the brothers keys to the city and declared December 19 98 Degrees Day, er, Lachey Day in Cincinnati. As the event unfurled, A&E was also there rolling cameras for the upcoming reality show surrounding the opening of the bar, which will start airing in March 2015.

“Nick has been talking about this, I swear, it has to be at least a decade,” Justin Jeffre, a childhood pal of the Lacheys, fellow 98 Degrees member and editor for newspaper Streetvibes, says. “They’ve been more serious about it for the past couple of years. After hearing so many conversations, it’s nice to see it finally come to fruition.”

The sports bar, located on the corner of Walnut and 12th Street in OTR, is huge and bright, so there’s no way you’ll miss it. Because of its large windows, you can easily stand on the street and gaze inside at Drew and Nick, and read the LED sports ticker crawling underneath the 10 or so TVs hovering above the long bar.

“We felt like we wanted it be a sports lounge,” Nick says. “Sports bar, you kind of think of peanut shells on the floor, more Buffalo Wild Wings vibe, which I love, but we wanted to create something that was a little bit more upscale from that but still approachable to everybody.”

The plethora of TVs, the sports ticker and glowing rectangular colored lights wired into panels underneath the bar countertop creates almost a sensory overload. There’s already a sports bar (Rhinehaus) and a craft beer emporium/taco joint (Half Cut, Gomez Salsa) across the street, but keep in mind Lachey’s is more commodious, with 100 seats and a 150-person occupancy. Chefs Jonathan Price and Brian Duffy (of Bar Rescue fame) are building a menu of high-quality, non-frozen pub grub, including tater tots, pork sandwiches, bison burgers and salads, so you can stuff your face while you watch golf.

The big draw here is not only the bros, but also the booze. Three tap stations serve an array of craft beer and Miller Lite (Nick’s fave), but there’s also Nobilo wine on draft (it’s fancy and it’s good), cocktails on tap, a beer cocktail called Una Noche and non-alcoholic sodas for the teetotalers. Sports and non-sports fans will be able to imbibe their Miller Lite and Mad Tree Thundersnows sitting on barstools at the bar, sitting at one of the high top tables or lounging in the back of the bar on a comfy couch. Or, the ladies can take their business into the bathroom and lounge on couches in there. Note: The ladies room is nicer than most sports bars’ bathrooms.

But what’s the appeal of a sports bar to those who aren’t into sports? Nick assures, “It’s really about the people. I think I go to places because I want to be around good people and great atmosphere, and this is going to have that, for sure.”

Like many bars in OTR, Lachey’s will have happy hour, which will be yet another reason to hang out at the bar in hopes of catching a glimpse of the bros. And if you’re into the Pedal Wagon, the bar has a garage that enables the wagon to pedal right into the bar.

Currently, the only framed photos hanging on the red-hued walls are of The Bengals and Reds, and when asked if he’ll hang photos of 98 Degrees, Nick says, “We’re still decorating.” So here’s hoping some of those ‘90s-era shirtless pictures of the guys will make it onto the wall of shame.

Lachey’s Bar is located at 56 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine. For more info, go to lacheys.com.

Grab a waffle and chicken, plain, chocolate or fruit waffle

Taste of Belgium has announced that it's partnering with the Great American Ball Park to become the "Official Waffle of the Cincinnati Reds." (Do any other teams have an official waffle? Didn't think so.)

Starting on Opening Day, fans can now grab a Belgian waffle with toppings such as sweet cream, fruit or chocolate during a game, starting at just $5. If fans are looking for something more savory (with a bit more protein), Taste of Belgium is also offering their signature chicken and waffle combo. Add a side of twice-fried frites (Belgian french fries) for the complete experience.

“We at Taste of Belgium are honored to be counted among the Cincinnati brands supported by Great American Ballpark,” Taste of Belgium owner Jean-François Flechet said in a recent press release. “Our food has been embraced with open arms in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Friendly Market in Florence, Ky., and now we are delighted to show the best fans in baseball how to eat like a Belgian.”

Great American Ball Park also offers local food favorites including LaRosa's pizza and Skyline chili plus beer from local brewery Rhinegeist. The Official Waffle of the Cincinnati Reds goes on sale Opening Day at Great American Ball Park in Section 130 of the Ballpark, near The Kroger Fan Zone.

A strictly macaron bakery for Francophiles and sweet tooths

Macarons. You can't walk a block in Paris without seeing boulangerie windows lined with the colorful, little cookies — even McDonald's McCafe has a selection: pistachio, raspberry, chocolate. And while a couple of local bakeries specialize in the treat (pastry of merengue and almond flour sandwiching a filling of buttercream, jam or ganache), like Frieda's Desserts in Madeira, helmed by fourth-generation, certified master pasty chef Armin Hack, Macaron Bar will be the only bakery in Cincinnati devoted strictly to macarons.

The brain-child of former P&G brand manager Patrick Moloughney and Nathan Sivitz — who studied pastry with a focus on macarons at The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica, Calif., and has taken a macaron master class at Ecole Lenôtre in Paris — Macaron Bar is slated to open in November.

They plan to offer core macaron flavors, complemented by seasonal selections, as well as a selection of coffees and teas from local partners Deeper Roots Coffee and Essencha Tea House.

Their building on Main Street is right next to Park + Vine. Stay tuned to their social media — twitter and Facebook — for updates.

Popular pizza chain finds new East Side home

Atlanta-based pizza chain Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers has opened in Hyde Park. Founded in 1974, each Mellow Mushroom is locally owned and operated with a focus on fresh, stone-baked pizza; an eclectic, artistic environment; and family-friendly atmosphere.

“We are thrilled to bring the unique Mellow Mushroom brand to the Hyde Park community," says owner Kevin Molony in a recent press release. "From the eclectic young professional environment to the family friendly community, this Mellow Mushroom has something for everyone."

The menu features pizza, hoagies, salads, calzones and appetizers with options for vegetarians, vegans, kids and those who are gluten-free. The design of the Hyde Park location centers on all things Cincinnati, from a mural representing the riverfront's past, present and future plus a bridge design introducing elements of the suspension bridge. They also have six television sets for sports.

The neo-French bistro will serve takes on classic French and American fare

Everyone's favorite French chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, owner of Table and French Crust Cafe, is opening a new destination restaurant in The Edgecliff condominium building in Walnut Hills (2200 Victory Parkway).

The whimsically titled Le Bar a Boeuf — literally translated to "beef bar" — will be a French neo-bistro, de Cavel says, with new takes on classic French and American dishes; more casual than the Table with the intent that everybody will be able to share (at least the appetizers).

"It's not a classic bistro, like when I did Jean Ro," de Cavel says. "This neo-bistro is something from the past you are familiar with but in a modern way."

The menu (which is currently being finalized) will feature six or seven appetizers, from homemade pate and crab cakes ("Of course crab cakes," de Cavel says) to beef and salmon tartare, deviled eggs and lobster macaroni and cheese, along with entrees that focus on ground meat.

"So like a burger without the bread," he says.

The chef has always wanted to do a burger bar-type restaurant, but Le Bar a Boeuf will be something more, elevating the street food with a French twist; a burger you eat with a fork and knife. The ground meat — which includes choices like Wagyu beef, seafood and lamb — keeps entree prices down (they're currently slated to be in the $16-$28 range), while still providing quality. It also allows patrons to top their "burgers" with a variety of add-ons.

"You can have a burger with sautéed chicken liver on it, or you can have pork belly or foie gras, confit tomatoes or roasted portobello mushrooms," de Cavel says.

Le Bar a Boeuf's Chef de Cuisine will be Mirko Ravlic with sous chef Travis Reidel, both from Table. Table's wine director Evan Abrams will be developing the moderately priced and global wine list. The bar will also serve classic cocktails, and local, import and domestic beers. And Lindsay Furia, most recently of New York's 11 Madison Park, will come aboard as general manager.

Previously home to restaurants including The Edgecliff Room, View, Four and Coach, de Cavel has made a few changes to the 70-person dining room, lounge and patio, with help from HighStreet and the designer who helped with Table, to make the atmosphere "funky" and "different."

Slated to open by mid-November, one of the former selling points of the restaurant location was the panoramic river-view (hence the former eatery "View").

"I never want to promote the view; the view, for me, it's an extra," de Cavel says. "It's an extra thing. I want it to be a fun restaurant; a destination restaurant. Fun for the younger generation to the older generation."

Le Bar a Boeuf will open for dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays initially, and then for lunch and brunch Wednesday-Sunday shortly after. Follow progress on Twitter and Instagram @baraboeufcincy